It is desirable to provide a container that can be opened, sealed, or resealed using a frontal, singular motion and that can still produce a leakproof seal. For example, during laboratory applications such as drug testing, users of the containers desire the accessibility and resealability of the specimen by simply using frontal thumb pressure upon the thumb tab of the container to result in a leakproof container. In addition to ease to use, the integrity of the specimens in the containers is significant in ensuring proper chain of custody requirements of the container contents.
The present invention relates to a leakproof and resealable container and cap assembly. In one embodiment of the present invention, the assembly comprises a cap and container attached by a hinge. The container has an upper portion and an outer surface, and at the upper portion, the container has a rim. The cap has a circular base with an outer periphery and a cylindrical tubular skirt extending perpendicularly and outwardly around said outer periphery of the base; the skirt has an inner wall which includes at least one recess. In another embodiment, the cap has opposing ends; the cap has a thumb tab for facilitating the opening and closing of the container and the hinge attached to the container. The thumb tab and hinge are positioned on opposing ends of the cap and extend perpendicularly and outwardly from the skirt of the cap. In a further embodiment, the skirt of the cap overlies the container and the rim of the container is situated within the recess of the inner wall of the skirt of the cap during a closed position.
In yet another embodiment, the container further comprises a flange (i.e. an anti-decapping ring that serves to prevent the cap from being unintentionally opened and also serves as a visual scale to assure uniform cap position around the flange) projecting radially outwardly from the outer surface of the container. In still another embodiment, the hinge is attached to the container flange and the skirt of the cap is designed to overlie the rim of the container and be in uniform close proximity to the container flange during the closed position.
In a further embodiment, the cap and container assembly, in a closed position, forms an air tight seal.
In another embodiment, the cap and container are molded of plastic. In yet another embodiment, the cap and container are integrally molded of the plastic to form a hinge therebetween. In still another embodiment, the cap is fit to the container during the closed position to from a leakproof, air tight seal.
In a further embodiment, the hinge of the assembly has a recess. The recess forms two elements, the first element being attached to the skirt of the cap and the second element being attached to the container. In still a further embodiment, the recess functions as a bending point during the opening and closing of the container.
The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a leakproof resealable container and cap assembly, comprising: providing a container and cap connected by a hinge, the container has an upper portion and an outer surface, the container includes a rim at the upper portion; the cap has a circular base with an outer periphery and a cylindrical tubular skirt extending perpendicularly and outwardly around the outer periphery of the base, the skirt has an inner wall having at least one recess; the cap has opposing ends, the cap including a thumb tab; the tab and hinge is positioned on opposing ends of the cap and extend perpendicularly and outwardly from the skirt of the cap; and closing the container by applying, in a singular motion, a frontal, downward pressure upon the thumb tab to allow the skirt to overlie the container and the rim of the container to be situated within the recess of the inner wall of the skirt of the cap.